KYIV, June 5 (Reuters) - Moscow said on Monday it had thwarted a major offensive against its forces in eastern Ukraine, but Ukrainian officials dismissed the report and both sides said Kyiv's military had made small gains elsewhere along front lines.
It was unclear whether the attacks represented the start of Ukraine's long-heralded counteroffensive against Russia's invasion, and Ukrainian officials made no mention of any broad, significant new campaign or sidestepped questions on the matter.
Russia's defence ministry said Ukraine had attacked on Sunday morning with six mechanised and two tank battalions in southern Donetsk, where Moscow has long suspected Ukraine would seek to drive a wedge through Russian-controlled territory.
"On the morning of June 4, the enemy launched a large-scale offensive in five sectors of the front in the South Donetsk direction," the defence ministry said in a statement posted on Telegram at 1:30 a.m. Moscow time (2230 GMT).
"The enemy's goal was to break through our defences in the most vulnerable, in its opinion, sector of the front," it said. "The enemy did not achieve its tasks, it had no success."
Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba told Reuters on Monday that Ukraine now had enough weapons for a counteroffensive but declined to comment when asked whether it had begun.
In its evening report, Ukraine's General Staff made no mention of any large-scale offensive operation, or suggested any other deviation from the usual tempo or scope of fighting along front lines that have not changed significantly for months.
Deputy defence minister Hanna Maliar said on Telegram that Ukraine was "shifting to offensive actions" along parts of the front line but dismissed suggestions this was part of a major operation.
Maliar said later on state TV that Ukrainian forces had made advances of 200-1,600 metres (660 feet to one mile) around two villages north of the long embattled eastern city of Bakhmut and 100-700 metres around villages to the west and south.
Russian Wagner group mercenaries captured Bakhmut last month after the longest battle of the war and handed their positions there to regular Russian troops, but Kyiv has since been attacking Russian-held areas to the north and south of the city.
"The main focus now is on the Bakhmut sector," said Maliar. "And as of now, this has resulted in certain successes including advances. We have taken control of certain heights."
An armed forces video showed Russian positions under fire and Wagner militia leader Yevgeny Prigozhin said Ukrainian forces had retaken part of the settlement of Berkhivka, northwest of Bakhmut, calling it a "disgrace".
A purported radio address by Russian President Vladimir Putin was broadcast to three regions bordering Ukraine telling residents Ukrainian forces had crossed the border, mobilisation had begun and they should flee, independent media reported.
"All of these messages are an utter fake," Russian state-owned news agency RIA cited Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov as saying.
Kyiv denies sending any troops into Russia but pro-Ukrainian forces have repeatedly crossed into one of the regions, Belgorod, in recent days and on Sunday said they had captured some Russian soldiers.
'TOUGH FIGHT GOING ON'
Russia's defence ministry released video of what it said showed several Ukrainian armoured vehicles in a field blowing up after being hit.
Reuters was able to confirm the location of two clips near Velyka Novosilka, a village west of Vuhledar in the southern part of Donetsk province, by the road layout, terrain, trees and other foliage that matched satellite imagery of the area. Reuters could not independently verify the other clips or the date the videos were filmed.
"There is a tough fight going on," wrote prominent Russian military blogger Semyon Pegov, who blogs under the name War Gonzo, saying Ukrainian forces were attacking in the area.
The defence ministry said Russian forces killed 250 Ukrainian soldiers and destroyed 16 tanks, three infantry fighting vehicles and 21 armoured combat vehicles.
Reuters could not verify the battlefield reports of either side.
ZELENSKIY TEMPERS COUNTEROFFENSIVE HOPES
Russia now controls at least 18% of internationally recognised Ukrainian territory and has claimed four more regions of Ukraine as Russian territory after annexing Crimea in 2014.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy told the Wall Street Journal in an interview published on Saturday that he was ready to launch it, but tempered a forecast of success with a warning that it could take some time and come at a heavy cost.
The success or failure of the counteroffensive, expected to be waged with billions of dollars worth of advanced Western weaponry, is likely to influence the shape of future Western diplomatic and military support for Ukraine.
Putin sent troops into Ukraine on Feb. 24 last year in what the Kremlin expected to be a swift operation, but its forces suffered a series of defeats and had to move back and regroup in swathes of the country's east.
For months, tens of thousands of Russian troops have been digging in along a front line that stretches for around 600 miles (1,000 km), bracing for a Ukrainian attack expected to try to cut Russia's so-called land bridge to the Crimean Peninsula.
The Kremlin says the West is fighting a hybrid war against Russia to sow discord and ultimately carve up its vast natural resources, allegations that Western leaders deny.
Ukraine casts the invasion as an imperial-style land grab by Russia and vows to eject every last Russian soldier.
